PETER JUNE SIMON retired after a 17-season career in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), leaving behind a legacy that borders from his relentless style to a reliable off-the-bench type of player who springs surprises when his team needed them most.
Simon, who owns the moniker “Scoring Apostle,” announced his retirement on social media and confirmed on Wednesday by his coach at Magnolia, Chito Victolero.
“I think he is a very respected player and he contributed a lot in the PBA. His name is also a legacy in his hometown,” said Victolero, who couldn’t remember if they ever met from opposite sides of the court during their playing years in the defunct Metropolitan Basketball Association (MBA) in 2001.
“I think we played in the MBA, but I just can’t remember what happened. He was too young during those times,” added Victolero, who praised the 40-year-old Simon for his professionalism and class act.
“He was good teammate and he gave advise to his teammates,” Victolero said.
Simon was unsigned after being drafted 43rd overall by the defunct Sta. Lucia Realty in 2001, but polished his game when he returned to the MBA and the then-Philippine Basketball League.
He joined James Yap at Purefoods in 2005 as a free agent and stayed with the franchise for the rest of his professional career.
Magnolia put Simon—the pride of Makilala, Cotabato, who burned the hoops for University of Mindanao in Davao City in his college years—on the free agent list this season.
Simon, who plays both guard and small forward positions, was a huge factor in Purefoods’s eight title runs—including the 2014 grand slam under Coach Tim Cone. He was also an eight-time All-Star and a Mr. Quality Minutes awardee twice in 2008 and 2014.
He joined other veterans—Kelly Williams of TNT KaTropa, Ranidel de Ocampo of Meralco and Sonny Thoss of Alaska—who retired during the Covid-19 pandemic.